Lawmakers Moves To Amend 161 Parts Of 1999 Constitution

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has announced that the National Assembly is evaluating amendments across 161 sections of the 1999 constitution as part of its ongoing review process.

During a briefing with journalists following a private meeting with governors from all 36 states, which commenced on Wednesday evening and extended into the early hours of Thursday in Abuja, Kalu emphasized the importance of the governors as key stakeholders in this initiative, highlighting the necessity of their contributions.

Reports had it that the 10th National Assembly has initiated a new round of constitutional amendments, with a target completion date set for December 2025.

The legislative body is examining various critical issues, including state police, electoral reforms, local government autonomy, voting rights for citizens abroad, the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as pre- and post-election matters and judicial decisions related to electoral issues.

Kalu, who leads the committee on constitutional review in the House of Representatives, noted that the governors expressed their support for the initiative and are prepared to engage with lawmakers during their upcoming visits to the states for public hearings.

“We informed them that we have received over 161 areas to amend in the constitution and we are going to give them the breakdown in the coming engagements. This won’t be the first and last engagement. We are going to have a couple of engagements. This is how we want to do it, differently from how it has been done,” Kalu said.

On tax reforms, Kalu said, “To be fair to the governors, they did not dwell on tax reforms. It was generally about the constitution. they spoke on the local government reforms, what we are looking at. We are also not emphatic about state police.”

Don’t miss out on any real-time information. Join our WhatsApp group to stay updated.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

In a communique signed by the Kwara State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, at the end of their meeting, the governors resolved to actively engaged in the ongoing constitution amendment process with a view to strengthening the country’s legal framework.

The communique reads in part, “The Deputy Speaker emphasised the importance of collaboration between the Forum and the Committee, proposing the establishment of a “one-stop shop” framework to align state-level priorities with the constitutional review process.

“Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to actively engage in shaping amendments that strengthen Nigeria’s constitution.”

The governors also resolved to strengthen collaboration between federal and state governments, improve the quality of girl- child education and integrate vocational training among others in the country.

On the issue of the new terror group known as Lakurawa, which has killed many innocent Nigerians in Kebbi, Sokoto and other states in the North West, Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who read the communique said, “We all face various security challenges, but we are working closely with the relevant security agencies. We are very confident that it is a matter of time. All these issues will be over.”